The Crisis in a Nutshell: What Hostilities?

“We believe U.S. forces are not engaged in the kind of ‘hostilities’ envisaged by the War Powers Resolution.”—Jay Carney, the White House press secretary

“The White House’s suggestion that there are no hostilities taking place in Libya defies rational thought.”—John Boehner, the Speaker of the House

“I believe that President Obama has complied with the law consistent in a manner with virtually all of his predecessors.”—Robert Gates, the Secretary of Defense

“I’m satisfied that the President has the authority he needs to go ahead. If we had boots on the ground … then that’s a different story.”—Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader

“I think that the War Powers Act and Constitution make it clear that hostilities by remote control are still hostilities.”—Dick Durbin, a Democratic congressman for Illinois

“The War Powers Act has no application to what’s going on in Libya.”—Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader

“I am sure Libyans on the receiving end of U.S. and NATO bombs feel hostilities are quite definitely taking place.”—Ron Paul, a Republican congressman for Texas

“President Bush came to Congress…. President Obama doesn’t feel like he needs to come to Congress.”—Dennis Kucinich, a Democratic congressman for Ohio

“I think that every President has said that they don’t respect the constitutionality of the War Powers Act, but they’ve always complied. He should comply with it. There’s a lot of ill will here that he went to the Arab League and NATO and the U.N. without coming to Congress.”—John McCain, a Republican senator for Arizona

“It should come as no surprise that there would be some disagreements, even within an administration, regarding the application of a statute that is nearly forty years old to a unique and evolving conflict. ”—Eric Schultz, a spokesman for the White House

“Our views were heard, as were other views, and the President then made the decision as was appropriate for him to do.” —Matthew Miller, a Justice Department spokesman

“To paraphrase my grandmother, with the situation in Libya and many of these other situations, they’re not simple situations. It’s a mess. It’s just an absolute mess.”—Herman Cain, the former C.E.O. of Godfather Pizza

“The President needs to step up his game in Libya, but Congress should sort of shut up.”—Lindsey Graham, a Republican congressman for South Carolina

The league, we’ve been told for the past year, is desperate to stay out of politics. But it’s clear that some constituents are judged to be more important, more valuable, than others.

Although the N.F.L. has long banned substances such as anabolic steroids and growth hormones, the First Amendment is believed to be the only right guaranteed by the Constitution to be included on the list.